As the 11/11 shopping festival approaches, e-commerce platforms in Indonesia are preparing various initiatives to boost sales on the day that is also known as Singles’ Day. In addition to discounts and shopping vouchers, a number of them celebrate the festival by hosting huge livestreaming concerts.
Take, for example, Sea Group’s e-commerce firm Shopee. The platform is hosting its “11.11 Big Sale” show with its newest brand ambassador Stray Kids. The program will be livestreamed on Shopee Live and its Indonesian YouTube channel. Several television stations will also air the show, namely RCTI, MNCTV, SCTV, Indosiar, and ANTV.
“It will be our biggest yet,” Shopee’s Indonesia director Handhika Jahja told KrASIA. “Top brands such as Adidas, Unilever, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, Emina and more will offer exclusive deals on Shopee, while users can also expect special discounts up to 99%.” Jahja points out that the partnership with national TV stations reflects the firm’s growing importance to the local ecosystem.
Alibaba’s Lazada is also organizing a livestreaming of its “11.11 Super Show” which will be starring Indonesian top singers and bands. The event will air on November 10 from 7.30pm on Laz Live, as well as on the TV channels Indosiar and SCTV.
Similar to China, Southeast Asia is embracing the “shoppertainment” trend which combines online shopping and entertainment with social experiences. Both e-commerce giants launched Indonesian livestreaming services last year and have been aggressively promoting them since then. The pandemic, which has been forcing people to spend more time at home, also contributed to the rising popularity of this new form of e-commerce.
Shopee’s Jahja said that consumers today want more than a transactional online experience. “As retail interactions decline, we found that more shoppers are turning to e-commerce for entertainment and social interactions. Shopee Live, our in-app live streaming feature, saw 30 million hours watched in the second quarter of 2020 alone, while in the first half of the year our in-app games were played 10 billion times,” he said.
K-Pop attracts young consumers
Another popular trend is the involvement of South Korean artists. Shopee pioneered the strategy when it teamed up with K-pop band Blackpink as its first regional ambassador in 2018. Last year, the firm featured the girl band Gfriend on its 11/11 TV show, and more recently, it held a K-pop Live Festival.
Online marketplace Tokopedia made headlines last year when it announced a partnership with BTS, reportedly the biggest boyband in the world right now. Lazada recently presented Korean actor Lee Min Ho as its first regional brand ambassador for the upcoming shopping festival.
The strategy reflects how big the Korean Wave or Hallyu has become in Indonesia, encompassing everything from music and movies, to beauty and fashion. By working with Korean celebrities, the e-commerce industry hopes to attract more consumers which will eventually lead to better brand positioning and increased sales.
“K-pop has grown to be immensely popular in Indonesia, especially among millennials and younger shoppers,” said Jahja. “As K-pop culture continues to evolve in Indonesia, we will continue to keep pace with the latest trends and bring more exciting initiatives to all users in the future.” Jahja, however, didn’t want to say if the strategy is actually boosting sales.
With a combination of livestreaming and Korean wave, Shopee is confident that this year’s shopping festival will mark new records. The company has stepped its logistics to anticipate an influx of orders. “We have deepened the integration with our warehouse and logistics providers and stress-tested servers to support anticipated surges in traffic,” said Jahja.